Cause and Effect, or Loss: a Oneshot
by DawnFire and Silver Huntress
Summary: What the prophecy wrought...In the aftermath of Halloween ’81, characters reflect on loss and the prophecy. Canon compliant, oneshot by DawnFire.


**A/N:** I hope you enjoy this. The summary says the rest...

~DawnFire~

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**Summary:** In the aftermath of Halloween '81, characters reflect...Oneshot by DawnFire.

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**DISCLAIMER:** Strangely enough, I never really noticed very many resemblances between myself and J. K. Rowling. For one thing, she's British, and I'm not. For another, she's almost definitely older than I am. And for a third, my initials (real or otherwise) are not J. K., and my surname is not Rowling. I've never even been to England. So I guess she wrote the _Harry Potter_ series, not I. The prophecy is now a direct quotation from _Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix _(written by the aforementioned JKR. Don't sue me.) Enjoy the oneshot!

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Cause and Effect, _or _Loss;_ a Oneshot_

Written by: DawnFire

_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches..._

He had lost everything, in less than two days.

Well, he still had a house, still had his life—but he had lost every friend he had. Lost James. Lost Peter. Lost Lily. Lost Sirius. Lost them to death and betrayal and Azkaban.

He was the only one left.

Well, and Harry. But Remus had lost him as well, to Dumbledore and the Dursleys.

He had no one.

_...Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies..._

He had also lost everything. Lost his house, his life—in a manner of speaking—lost his friends. Lost Lily and James to death. Lost Peter to betrayal. Lost Remus to lies.

He didn't even know what had become of Harry.

_...And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not..._

He had lost a good deal, not that he knew properly. Lost his parents to death, his godfather to Azkaban, his adoptive uncles to betrayal and lycanthropy and prejudice.

His life for the next ten years, little though he knew it, would not be fun. Not really.

Harry was alone. Alone except for the Dursleys inside Number 4 Privet Drive, the doorstep of which he was currently lying on.

Properly alone might have been better.

_...And either must die at the hand of the other..._

He, too, had lost quite a lot.

Lost everyone to his own betrayal. Lily and James to death and his betrayal. Sirius to Azkaban and his betrayal. Remus to his lies because of his betrayal.

He had even lost his master.

Now, lying in a wizarding garden in the form of a rat, he no longer knew what to do.

..._for neither can live... _

"How could he betray us?"

Lily sighed, and rubbed a hand across her eyes. "I don't know, James," she said, for what must have been the thousandth time.

"I thought he was our friend! Why did he turn traitor?"

Lily narrowly avoided groaning.

'My poor baby,' she thought. 'Off to live with my sister...Petunia, I know you hate me now, but please, be nice to my baby. Please, take care of Harry. Please.'

_...while the other survives..._

Petunia slept, with no idea of what had happened. Next to her, Vernon snored and turned over a little.

In the next room Dudley slept too, as unaware as his parents of the small child on their doorstep and the changes he would bring into life.

_...The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord..._

Albus Dumbledore sighed and rubbed his eyes behind the half-moon glasses. He was rather tired, and trying not to worry.

Harry Potter was taken care of, at least. Dumbledore himself had left him on the doorstep of Number 4 Privet Drive. He had left the Dursleys a letter as well.

The prophecy had been set in motion.

Now he could only watch, wait, and hope for the best.

_...will be born as the seventh month dies..._

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**A/N #2:** Hi again...

Newly edited (prophecy wording) as of January 16th, 2010 (Happy New Year!), that was the second of DawnFire's finished oneshots, originally posted on May 4th, 2009! Hope you enjoyed it.

Just for clarification, although most people probably don't need it--in order of parts: Remus Lupin; Sirius Black; Harry Potter; Lily and James Potter (why do people tend to put Lily first? Hm...); Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley Dursley; and last, but not least, Albus Dumbledore. Prophecy prophesied by Sibyll Trelawney.

Well, once again, I hope you liked it...If you want to review, please do--I wouldn't mind an opinion. If you don't feel like reviewing, that's fine too.

And let this oneshot be proof that not everything I write is happy or humorous!

Yours,

DawnFire :)

PS: A Hebrew translation of this story is coming... ~DF~


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